Refrigeration apparatus



Dec- 18, 1951 A. N. NlcHoLsoN 2,578,829

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1'?, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 u`-lulj A |l\ T w 1 .m/ \c un, bl N. m mvv. 1 .W QNI-| j m n WML mhd@ a. i E. l HHHH-HIIIHVIIILHJMMMMIIIIMH"ILHN.ullllllhhunmwunblwhhhlhhh lllll Tai D 18, 1951 A; N. NICHOLSON 2,578,829

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Dec. 18, 1951 A. N. NICHOLSON 2,578,829

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Nov. 17, i950 5 sheets-sheet 5 Fl g I0.

Patented Dec. 18, 1951 2,578,829 y REFRIGERATION APPARATUS AlbertfN. Nicholson, Santa Rosa, Calif., assigner of one-sixth to Joseph W.Rackerby,` Jr., onesixth to Emery R. Lessard, and one-sixthpto Joseph C. Bloom, all of SantaRosa, Calif.

Application November 17, 1950, Serial No. 196,143 l (c1. sz- 114) Z Claims. 1

`My present invention relates to refrigeration apparatus and more particularly to refrigeration apparatus for freezing packaged food products such as frozen iish, etc'.l

In the freezing of packaged food products, such as fish and the like, it is desirable that the apparatus be easily accessible for loading and unloading of small packages and produce a frozen package which is of uniform thickness so that when such packages are stacked up one upon another they will lie flat and not topple over which occurs when the flat sides of the packages are not parallel. Another important requirement is that each package of frozen food must be frozen quickly and uniformly. My improved freezing equipment accomplishes these and other results by unique and eiiicient means which will be described in the following specification.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a practical and eiiicient freezing apparatus for packaged food products.

Another object is to produce an apparatus as above stated, in which the packaged food product may be loaded on trays which may be inserted on movable freezing plates, each plate being moved into loading position instantly as needed, starting from the lowermost plate and working upwardly in a vertical stack until the freezer is fully loaded, after which an upper freezing plate, which is attached to hydraulic means, is lowered and hydraulic pressure is applied to the entire stack of plates during the freezing period, thus providing for the uniform and parallel surfaces of the packages.

'Another object is to accomplish the results above described and at the same time provide for expansion of the stacked plates due to the expansion of the food products when freezing occurs.

Still another object is to provide means for separating an upper plate from a lower plate which is being loaded or unloaded, thereby providing handling space between plates during such loading operations, such handling space being provided in successive progression from top to bottom or reverse.

Other objects and novel features comprising `the construction and operation of the invention which make the above features possible will be described more in detail as the description of the apparatus progresses.

vIn the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is fragmentary front elevation, a portion of the insulation of the outer casegbeing removed to better show the internal apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation with a portion of the outer case insulation removed and particularly showing the freezing plates in the position of loading or unloading;

Fig. 3` isa plan View of one of the vfreezing plates and trays assembled, the dot-and-dash lines indicating packaged food products as as- `sembled on the trays;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the freezing plate shown in Fig. 3 but with the trays removed and more particularly showing in dotted lines a refrigerant coil which is located internally of said plate;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary typical cross-section o the frozen portion of the freezing plates when in a loaded position but not loaded with food packages, and

Fig. l0 is a perspective view of one of the loading trays upon which the packaged food is placed.

Referring more in detail to the drawings,20 indicates a superstructure frame which supports V the various parts of the freezer and tov which the outer insulation of the freezer is attached,

etc., as indicated at 2|.

Attached in any suitable manner to the frames 20 are slotted plates 22 and 23. These slotted plates are duplicated on the far side of the apparatus from that shown in Fig. 2. The plate 22 is the front plate and the plate 23 is the rear plate.

The freezing plates are generally indicated by the numeral 24.

lustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 and is concerned with the position of the refrigerant coils 34. These refrigerant coils are identical but are alternated' with respect to their position in the freezing plates 24. By alternation of the position of the coils in plates contacting each other freezing temperatures in the plates are kept uniform throughout the stack. In so far as the plates are concerned they are interchangeable.

The packaged food is usually packed in a These freezing plates are identical with one exception. This exception is ill 3 waxed or similar prepared paper which has very little affinity for sticking to the bottom of the plates or the trays. Both the trays and plates are preferably made from polished stainless steel.

The sides of the freezing plates 24 are provided with pins 25 and 26. The front pins 26-are. slidable in the inclined slotsr26 of the slotted plates 22. These inclined slots 21 are uniform in shape, angle and spacing. The pins 25 are slidably. mounted in the inclined slots 28 in the slotted plates 23. The lower front portionrofvtheslots 28 are not uniform in depth.. The depth portion of the front end of the slots 28 are. progressivelyv deeper with the maximum depth 'atithe top ofi the group. The lower face of theslots28 are curved at the lower frontI portion, andjoin the depressed back sides of the slots 28 to form cam surfaces 29. The depressed front portionof. the slots 28 are provided to compensate for the expansion between the freezing plates .24 when the.: food products expandduring the freezing operation. The freezing. plates cannotv expand downwardly and therefore expand upwardly averaging approximately one-sixteenth of one inch between plates., y

The front slotted. plates 22 having the slots 21 not only provide the open ended inclined slots 21 to guide the pinsv 26 Vbut also provide a vertical face 38 formed onthe finger 3l, which separates the slots 21, against which the `pins 26 bear; Attached to the pins 26 are tensionsprings 32. They springs 32 are anchored on their rear ends to the` frame 20, the rear anchorl ends be-f ing higher than the front ends, thereby locating the springs at an angle, asindicated in dot-anddash linesV in Fig. 2.

When the freezingplates 24 are in a loading position, as shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2,.the pins 26 are; engaged against the Vertical faces 30 of the fingersr 3| of the slotted plates 22 and the pins :25 on the rear portions of the freezing. plates are in the depressed areas of the slots 28 inthe plates 23;

The freezing plates124 are loaded from thefbottom. As each plate is loadedthe vnext upper plate is :pulledforward onfthe slots of the plates 22 and 123.into the position shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2 until the entire stack of plates have been loaded. The top. plate 35.y which is fitted with a refrigerant-coillsimilar to coil 34- in the loaded stack'plates;` is .now brought down into contact with the top. platefby means of hydraulic pistons 36` located inpthe top of .the apparatus and pressure. is appliedto the stock. At the same time refrigerant fluid. is. passed through the coils freezingthe'packaged foodinh the trays on theplates. The.- pressureexerted bythe hydraulic pistons smooth. out-.and flatten the top and bottom sideszof. thegpackagedfood so that lthe top and bottom'sidesaregparalleL During the period of time during the freezing of the food, vertical. expansion betweemthe freezingplates 24 takesplace forcing `theplates slighty lyA apart; When thisexpansion takes place the pins 25 and 26rise slightly. The `rear pins 25 rise inthe depressed areas of 'the slotsl 28 in plates 23 and-the'front pins 26v slide up on the front vertical faces 38 of the slot ngers 3|. Fig.. 1 illustrates the movementof the pins 26. In .Fig."1 the lowermost pin 26 showsan approximate position with respect to the lowermost finger face 30. The uppermost pin. 26- in. this figure indicates. the. approximate positionzof `the top freezing. tray. pin 26. directly. under.v the 4 freezing plate 35. The middle pin 26 in the same figure indicates the approximate position mid--l way between the top and bottom freezing plates of the stack.

When it is desired to unload the frozen food the pressure is released and the top plate 35 is raisedto a position approximating that shown in Fig. 2. The freezing plates 24 are at this time all forward and in a horizontal position, .asshown in the lowermost portion of Fig. 2. The top plate 24 is now unloaded and raised at'the frontvr until the pin 26 enters the slot 21, at which time the spring 32 now under tension. counterbalances the plate 24, making it easy toV slide the yplate upwardly and rearwardly. AEach plate is unloaded and raised in the same way-until-all ofthe plates have been unloaded.

In Fig. 2 it will be noted that the raised plates -are pitched rearwardly. The reason for this the numeral 24 comprise a bottom compartment 42 which is closed on all sides. This compartment 42 contains the refrigerantcoil 34. The refrigerant coils 34 are connected by means of rubber hose 43 to any suitable refrigeration compressor, etc., not shown but well known in the art and does not comprise-a part' of the invention being old and well known in all refrigeration appa-- ratus. The hydraulic power in the cylinders 36 are supplied from the same or similar well known apparatus. sides of the freezingplatesY 24 are'provided with an upper flange 40. Thepackaged food indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig; 3 are'packed in trays50 better shown in Fig. 10. These trays 58 areprovided. with side' flanges 5 I, and a wooden strip .52, thetop of which extends'slightly aboveV the. top: of thai-langes 5. If desired the flange 5l, 5l 'may also extend'around the. outsideof. the-*wood strip 52; thetop edge" being the `sameheight'asy the'twogparallel frontand back sides.y

Fig..3 'shows'.the-method' of placing the trays 50.on the, freezing plates .24'. Therst tray is placed-to the left-handside of the plate 24 sov :that the openxendgis on the right. The second tray is .now placedonzthe freezingplate v2l! with thegwooden stripl against the. open end of the first tray. Now a thirdfree wooden strip. 55. is inserted downabetween the open'end of the# @second tray and against the side flange .dl of the plate 2.4... Itwill be notedzin'thedrawings that thezfree wooden'strip. indicated at 55 extends out '.beyondz the .'frontedge; ofi the freezing.; plate 24 presentingian overhangng end.

trays50-thebottom of the'upper plate 25 rests on the upper edges of the three. wooden strips 52; 521and 55: When unloading the-freezerthe first operation is. to take hold of the extendedu .end of. the strip 55andli`ft it out ofthe machine.. This breaks up the assembly so that the trays 50 which may have alittle frost on them may/beslid offof the .Y platesfandthe contents slid off of the trays to anyfdesired receptacleor lconveyor belt for further handling,

The back and two opposite- When4 thefreezing'fplates-are loaded with the When raising an unloaded plate the rear side of the plate pivots on the rear ends of the wooden trips 52, 52 and 55 before moving upwardly and rearwardly which prevents scufling of the packaged frozen food. 'I'his movement is made possible by thedepressed areas in the rear slots 28. As the pins 26 enter the slots 21 between the fingers 3| the rear pins 25 ride up on the cam surfaces 29 of the slots 28. The reverse is true when loading the plates.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have developed a novel and efficient freezing apparatus for packaged foods and it is to be understood that I may vary the size and proportion and use equivalent structure within wide latitude while still remaining within the spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention lwhat I claim as new is:

1. In a freezer for freezing packaged food products, the said freezer having vertically stacked freezer plates movably mounted in fixed frames, means for vertically raising one entire plate at a time away from the next lower plate and then moving it diagonally and upwardly and rearwardly in parallel relation to the next lower plate, said means comprising pins located adjacent the four corners of said plate, tension springs engaging said pins on the front corners of said plates, the rear end of said springs being anchored to said frames at a point above the rear corners of said plate, diagonally located slots located in said frames, said pins engaging in said slots, means for permitting vertical upward movement of said plate and preventing diagonal upward movement.

2. In a freezer as set forth in claim 1 in which said means for permitting vertical upward movement of said plate and preventing diagonal movement comprises nger members formed between the open ends of adjacent slots, the ends of said fingers being vertically faced, the front pins of said plate being engaged against the said vertical face of said linger.

ALBERT N. NICHOLSON.

REFERENCE S CIT ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

